Culture and Cultural Politics in Early Pahlavi Iran, 1921-1951
International Symposium, 26-28 June 2009

The reign of Reza Shah marks a crucial phase in the history of modern Iran, when centralised efforts were made to rebuild the state in Iran in terms of a progressive nation. As in many authoritarian regimes, especially the cultural sector was affected by the attempt to impose state control on all elements of society. Restrictions and censorship on films, music, newspapers etc. as well as cultural guidelines from government institutions caused tensions between persons engaged in cultural activities and officials. Can we identify a cultural policy behind the government´s actions and did these create a pattern for later developments?

The symposium assembles an international group of scholars, both from inside and outside Iran, in order to assess the present state of studies on the cultural history of the Reza Shah period. Taking the great array of culture and cultural politics into account, this workshop intends to bring together research on political reforms and particular aspects of the cultural sphere of the 1920s and 1930s including performing and visual arts, media, and literature, anthropology, sociology, and politics. By offering alternatives to a limited comprehension of cultural politics, the workshop wants to contribute to contemporary and future debates on the relationship between politics and culture in 20th century Iran.

Convened by			Supported by
Bianca Devos   and	Christoph Werner
			and Ursula-Kuhlmann-Fonds